With the change in lifestyle trends, people are becoming more aware about staying fit and healthy and this awareness among people has seen the demand explode for fitness and health clubs. Mushrooming number of fitness centres, especially in city areas, highlights the growing trend.

 Seema Dhital, 29, a banker by profession joined a fitness centre two and half years ago. She not only got a transformation but it also allowed her to go about her daily activities with a spring in her step. Observing the change, her friends and even her father joined a fitness centre, she said.

Gymkhana Muay Thai, Fitness Factory are some of the growing number of fitness centres that have been opened across the country. Gymkhana Muay Thai located at Maharajgunj, Kathmandu has been constructed with world class facilities and state of the art equipment to provide a complete fitness experience.

Gymkhana Muay Thai which began operations in 2017,  is the brainchild of Rahul Moktan, co-founder at Gymkhana Muay Thai.

Moktan has been in the business from 10 years and used to operate a fitness centre in India. According to him, Gymkhana Muay Thai is one of the highly invested gym centre in the country, with more than Rs60 million.

“We are the first fitness centre providing Muay Thai lessons in the country,” he said. The company has various fitness packages and has been offering extra services as well. Their best selling packages are Muay Thai, beat cycling and functional fitness including zumba, yoga, piloxing and boxing, he said adding, these packages cost Rs8,000 per month and the centre has been providing sauna, steam, Jacuzzi, two fresh towels, nutritionist and free locker for a year in the package.  Observing success within a year, he plans to expand his services in other places at Kathmandu and out of Valley.

Moktan said that he has noticed a  drastic change regarding fitness awareness among people compared to 10 years back.  

There are 24 certified instructors in the centre.  “We have customers from ages 12 years to 60 plus years and from every profession,” he said, adding, “We are receiving one new customer on a daily basis and getting great feedback. The centre has attracted more than 300 members in a year.”

Similarly, Chandan Shrestha, owner of Fitness Factory said that the surge in fitness centres has caused competition for  certified instructors.

Fitness Factory started providing its services since 2010 from Dharan and opened its second outlet in Kathmandu. The company has been selling its service packages ranging from Rs4,000 per month, Rs10,000 for a month and Rs36,000 for a year.